Identification device



I April 18, 1939. c. o. ROOSE IDENT IFICATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 17, 1957 LIccw-sz No. AA 151 I 24 Poucv M11234 Acc1r154 Smwnrunaa WW INVENTOR Q9 1350. F0052 flfig.4 Z

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an identification means and particularly to a device for automatically receiving and permanently securing identification tags, credit cards, and the like to automobiles, cash registers and other articles, and is an improvement in the device disclosed and claimed in my United States Patent No. 2,098,432, issued November 9, 1937.

In many instances, credit and other courtesies are extended to persons who are not entitled to them because of improper identification. To provide a complete and absolute identification it is necessary that the tags contain a signature of the owner.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of an inexpensive, simple receptacle, for receiving and locking therein, identification tags, which receptacle is permanently attached to the dash board or other suitable place of an automobile or other article.

Heretofore devices of this nature required the provision of a special tag containing embossed or inlaid indicia in order to prevent the defacing or altering of the indicia. These embossed or 25 inlaid identification tags are comparatively expensive to manufacture and furthermore must necessarily contain a limited amount of information thereon.

It is an object of this invention to provide a receptacle which will permanently inclose a plurality of cheaply manufactured tags, signed by the owner, which cannot be altered or defaced without noticeable damage or other revealing marks of unauthorized tampering to the recep- 35 tacle or tag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which Will permit the easy insertion of subsequent identification tags and which will permanently lock the tags when they lie wholly within the receptacle and thus provide a cumulative history of identification in relation to the. article or person to be identified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be conven- 45 iently and quickly mounted and looked upon a supporting member by an ordinary person Without the aid of special tools and which cannot be removed without destruction of the device. A further object is to provide a receptacle for inclosing a plurality of identification tags so that only the indicia on the last inserted tag is Visible.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of the device mounted upon a supporting panel;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which a plurality of tags are secured in place within the receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the method in which subsequent tags are inserted in the device;

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of an identification tag illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the retaining device indicated generally by the numeral I is shown as comprising a rectangular shaped metallic receptacle 2 having side walls 3 and end walls 4. The top wall 5 of the receptacle is provided With an inspection opening or window 6 for revealing the indicia on the last inserted identification tag. The bottom wall 8 may comprise a plate suitably welded or otherwise permanently secured to the rectangular shaped receptacle 2 substantially fiush with the side walls 3 and end walls 4 thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, thus providing a closed box-like container or receptacle for the identification tags. The retaining device I is permanently mounted upon a dash board of an automobile or other suitable supporting member S by means of a suitable locking screw 9 and locking cap 9a which is of a well known construction.

The bottom plate 8 is extended to provide an enlarged portion 80, for the purpose of containing the official seal of the state which issued the automobile license or may contain the trade mark or the like of the firm or company which extends credit to the owner.

Fixedly secured to the bottom plate 8 is a pin 10 upon which a locking element or pin I2 is resiliently mounted for endwise movement toward and away from the window slot and preferably into contact therewith. The element I2 is preferably provided with a hollow bore [5 which telescopically receives the pin H], a suitable coil spring It being interposed, within the bore, between the pin Hi and locking element I2 for urging the element I 2 toward and against the wall 5. To prevent rotation of the locking element l2 the aperture N5 of the locking element and the pin l2 are non-circular in cross-section, and preferably square. A substantially U-shaped flat metal leaf spring I 8 is secured to the bottom plate 8 by means of the head of the locking screw 9 and contacts the bottom surface of the initially inserted tag to hold and urge the tags towards the window wall and into juxtaposition to each other and to the inspection window l9.

In order to permit insertion of the tags edgewise, a slot 22 is provided in a side wall of the retainer 5 parallel to and close to the plane of the window, the path of the tags being inserted through the slot normally being obstructed by the element E2. The upper end of the element I2 is chamfered or beveled as at M to provide a wedge surface which is engageable by the tags during insertion to wedge the pin out of obstructing position and permit free ingress of the particular tag. After insertion element I2 is urged toward the window 5 by the spring l6.

For locking the plates in the retainer the plates are provided with locking apertures 24, positioned for registry with each other and with the locking element l2 when the plates are fully inserted respectively. Upon complete insertion of each plate the locking pin or element l2 enters the aperture thereof and prevents subsequent removal.

In order to render the tags inaccessible after being fully inserted and locked in the device an inspection window I 9 of glass or any other transparent material is mounted within the receptacle 2 and overlies and covers the inspection opening 6. The paper, cardboard or the like, tags 20 are suitably mounted and secured upon the metal plates 2! to provide a cheap and desirable identification tag.

Referring to Fig. 4 the tag 2i! contains a complete identification which may be cheaply inscribed thereupon by printing, writing or other convenient means.

As heretofore pointed out, credit and other courtesies are often extended to persons not properly identified and who are not entitled to them. To preclude such a person from obtaining this credit in the name of the true and rightful owner, a signature space 23 as illustrated in Fig. 4 is provided and credit, etc., will not be extended against the owners account to any person not entitled to it.

Furthermore, thefts of vehicles and other articles containing my device may be readily detected in that it is impossible to change the indicia of the tags without noticeable destruction of the inspection window l9 or of the entire device.

To insert the initial tag in the device, the innermost end is placed in the slot 22 in, the end wall 4 of the receptacle 2. The tag is then moved toward the center of the receptacle and will cam the locking pin I2 downwardly against the tension of the spring !6 due to the angle of the chamfer i l to allow the tag to pass the locking pin until the tag lies wholly within the receptacle. In this position the locking pin I2 will register with the locking aperture 24 of the tag and become engaged therein upon expansion of the coil spring 15 to permanently lock the tag within the receptacle 2.

To insert additional tags the pin 30 (Fig. 3) is inserted in the aperture 3| in the top surface of the receptacle 2 and contacts the first inserted tag and forces it downwardly a sufficient distance against the tension of the leaf spring I8 to allow the new tag to pass between it and the inspection window l9. The tag will pass the locking pin I 2 in the same manner as above described and when fully inserted within the receptacle will be permanently locked therein. The chamfer Id of the locking pin I2 is sloped away from the direction of the insertion of the tags and will allow the tags to pass between the inspection window and pin but will prevent the removal of the tags without noticeable damage to the receptacle.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the tags will be automatically locked within the receptacle without the use of special devices or tools. The present invention may be cheaply and accurately manufactured in large quantities by standard machines and the identification tags may also be inexpensively manufactured or obtained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An identification means comprising a plurality of identification plates each having a locking aperture therein, a retaining device for permanently locking and inclosing said plates, said retaining device comprising a receptacle adapted to be secured to an apparatus to be identified, and having a slot in one face arranged for receiving the plates, one by one, edgewise, and an inspection window in another face, a locking pin, means resiliently supporting said pin within the said receptacle for movement toward and away from the window and constraining the pin from rotation, said pin normally obstructing the path of insertion of the plates and arranged to be dis placed from obstructing position temporarily by each plate during insertion thereof, and arranged to register with the said locking apertures when the plates are fully inserted and to enter said apertures and thereby permanently lock the said identification plates within the said receptacle, said pin having its face adjacent the window sloping away from the window and facing toward said slot, and spring means adapted to hold the said identification plates in close proximity to the window.

2. An identification means comprising a plurality of identification plates, each having a looking aperture therein and having identification indicia on one face, a retaining device for permanently looking and enclosing said plates, said retaining device comprising a receptacle adapted to be secured to an apparatus to be identified and having a slot in one wall arranged for permitting the insertion into the receptacle of one plate at a time edgewise, and having in another wall an inspection window for revealing indicia on the last inserted plate, a window pane closing said window, a locking pin mounted in said receptacle and normally obstructing the path of insertion of the plates through the slot and being movable out of obstructing position, said pin having a wedge surface arranged to be engaged by the plates respectively, as the plates are inserted, for displacing the pin from obstructing position, said locking apertures being positioned to register with each other and with the pin when the plates are fully inserted within the receptacle, resilient means for returning said pin towards original position upon registration of said apertures therewith, for permanently locking the said identification plates within said receptacle, and spring means adapted to hold the said identification plates in close proximity to the window.

3. An identification device comprising a rigid receptacle adapted to be secured to a means to be identified and having a window wall with a window opening therein and a side wall, a spring operated retractable locking pin in the receptacle and yieldably urged endwise by the spring toward the window wall, said side wall having a narrow elongated slot close to the plane of the window wall and substantially parallel thereto, identi flcation plates receivable in the receptacle edgewise through the slot, said locking pin normally obstructing the path of the plates as the plates are inserted and having a wedge surface engageable by the plates and operated thereby upon insertion of each plate to move the latch endwise beneath the plate being inserted, each plate having an aperture positioned for registry with the latch. element when the plate is fully inserted, resilient means in the receptacle engageable with the under side of the plate most remote from the plane of the window and urging the plates as a group towards the window wall with the top plate juxtaposed thereagainst, and a window pane closing said window opening.

4. An identification device comprising a rigid receptacle adapted to be secured to a means to be identified and having a window Wall with a window opening therein and a side wall, a spring operated retractable latch element in the receptacle and yieldably urged endwise by the spring toward the window wall, said side wall having a narrow elongated slot close to the plane of the window wall and substantially parallel thereto, identification plates receivable in the receptacle edgewise through the slot, said latch element normally obstructing the path of the plates, as each plate is inserted, and having a wedge surface engageable by each plate being inserted, and operating to move the latch endwise beneath the plate being inserted, each plate having an aperture arranged to lie in registry with the latch element and to receive the latch element when the plate is fully inserted, and a window plane closing said window opening.

5. An identification means comprising a plate member having identification indicia on one face thereof and having a locking aperture therein, a receptacle for enclosing said plate member and having an inspection window in one face, a window pane closing said window, said receptacle having another face with a slot therein for permitting the insertion of said plate member into the receptacle edgewise and substantially parallel to the window with the indicia exposed toward the window, a locking member mounted within the said receptacle and having a portion extending across the path of entry of the plate member through the slot, one

of said members having a resiliently yieldable portion arranged to be engaged by and displaced by the other member during insertion of the plate member for permitting relative passage of the members during said insertion, and to return to a position across the path of entry after a predetermined relative position of the member, and said locking member being receivable in the locking aperture in said plate member when the plate member lies wholly within the receptacle, means yieldably resisting movement of the inserted plate member away from the plane of the window for permitting introduction of a succeeding plate member through the said slot in overlying relation to the first plate member, said pane overlying said resiliently yieldable portion and preventing access thereto.

6. A plurality of plates each having an identification indicia on one face thereof, said plates having locking apertures therein respectively and positioned for registry with each other when the plates are stacked face to face, a closed retaining device for inclosing said plates and having an inspection window and a hole in one face and a slot in another face for permitting the insertion of one plate edgewise at a time substantially parallel to the window, a transparent pane mounted within the said retaining device and closing said window, a locking pin mounted within the said retaining device and normally obstructing the entry of plates through the slot, and being arranged to be engaged by and displaced from obstructing position by the plates, respectively, during insertion thereof, and receivable in the locking apertures in the said plates when the plates lie wholly within the retaining device, means yieldably urging the pin into obstructing position and into said registered apertures, means afiording yieldably resisted movement of the last inserted plate away from the plane of the window consequent upon introduction of a succeeding plate through the said slot, said hole being positioned in overlying relation to the inserted plates for receiving a pin for moving the inserted plates away from the plane of the Window preparatory to and during initial insertion of a succeeding plate.

CLYDE O. ROOSE 

